CoinOne by Homer Liwag

The Homer Liwag CoinOne DVD is unlike any other magic video you’ve ever seen. Every aspect of the product, from the packaging, to the video, to the graphics reflects artistic design. This is clearly a professional and artistic effort, even if self-produced. It is the sort of DVD Andy Warhol would have made if he had talent.

This project shows that a magician producing his own video does not have to have a plywood table, a shaky camera, a sheet hanging from clothespins in the background, the sounds of sirens and dogs barking in the distance, volume that is frustratingly too low when the magician speaks and yet blaringly loud when the cheesy music comes on, a cat strolling across the screen, quirky, erratic scene cuts, a phone ringing, etc. Thank God a music video has been made without jazz music, hokey pseudo-rock, or Dueling Banjos folksy crap.

This is one of those rare instances where a magic video has been filmed without the magician incessantly babbling. (Joel Bauer, are you reading this?) And the funny thing is that it does not suffer in the least from not having a magician talking at great length.

I believe this is the first video to use on-screen graphics to teach. For example, the shelled coin is highlighted, or an arrow points to a shell. The use of graphics and highly detailed close up shots from multiple angles and speeds explains how Homer is able to thoroughly teach this routine without talking at all. Eye-catching graphics in the form of chapter titles and live video morphing into illustration create interest but do not distract from the video as a whole.

So yes, the package and format are ground-breaking, but how good is the routine? Even if this were the typical execrable self-made videocassette with the Scotch-taped label I would still urge you to buy it. In short, the routine is every bit as good as the stellar packaging.

If you’ve seen the trailer you know that the routine is a head-spinning visual fest. When watching, your jaw drops to the point where you feel like a python about to swallow a pig whole. But this is also an example of a routine in which every single detail has been worked out. This is clean, clean magic, without the fishy moves. Multiple methods are used, so the end result is practically impossible to deconstruct. Watch this video, and if you can get your other routines to look like this, you will be an unstoppable force in magic.

Homer gives further tips on using gaffed coins, supplies alternative endings, includes a PDF of the routine’s original write-up, and features a second innovative coins across routine taught by Chris Kenner. The magic world is riddled with hype and there was certainly buzz about this DVD, but it overdelivers in every single aspect.

The World-Famous Bowl Routine by Lance Pierce

Lance Pierce’s The World Famous Bowl Routine is an outstanding book that you really ought to own.

The first hint of greatness is the foreword written by none other than Bill Malone. I’m the type of guy who faces toward Boca Raton, Florida three times a day and chants “Bill Ma- Lone,” moving my fist from shoulder to shoulder and pumping it out into the air. (If you’ve never seen Bill Malone on video you have no clue what I’m talking about.) If Bill Malone had written the sort of glowing praise about me that he’s written about Lance, I’d have those words tattooed on my chest, then printed on a flag that would fly from my rooftop. When Bill screams in all caps “THIS ROUTINE KILLS,” I sit up and take note. When he also says, “Lance’s routine for the Bill in Lemon was without a doubt the most requested routine in the history of Malone’s Magic Bar,” that’s your cue to hit the Paypal button.

The World Famous Bowl Routine goes into incredible depth on a Benson bowl routine in which sponge balls vanish and reappear under the bowl, multiply, and then the routine climaxes with the production of a lemon containing a previously signed bill. I don’t know how you could possibly cram any more entertainment into a single routine. Lance also includes a sponge routine as a bonus, which makes sense, since it uses the same props as the bowl routine.

Much has been made of the video vs. book debate, that is, “Which is the better way to learn magic, by book or by video?” This book makes a convincing case for books as the better medium. Every move is covered, as well as the why’s of the routine, particularly why the routine is constructed as it is. Although a lot of people talk about timing in magic, Lance explains it and shows how it applies to the routine. Steve Pellegrino of Magicentric says “I feel that the way Lance has approached this, you are getting far more benefit from printed material than you would have from a DVD,” and I agree.

An example of the detail in the book is the consideration of everything that a spectator may do, and how to prepare for it. This is a sign of a routine that has been performed for real people countless times. As a magician you practice a routine, get it down, and then take it to the restaurant, only to find that when you ask a spectator to examine the bowl, he puts it on his head like a hat. Lance warns you that this might happen and tells you how to handle it. Time and again the reader is prepared for unexpected actions on the spectator’s part, and is given outs to handle them.

Furthermore, you are given funny lines. Too many trick descriptions read like a list of sleights, lacking a presentation and the funny lines that get the audience involved and laughing, but this book is filled with lines. The best lines in a routine are not thought up in advance, but typically occur as an ad-lib in the course of performing the routine, and this is where Lance’s experience performing the routine shows. These lines make all the difference between what is just a trick and what is blockbuster entertainment. Many of these lines anticipate what spectators may do, so you’re never caught off guard and at a loss for words.

At first I had my doubts that a Benson bowl and bill in lemon routine would be practical for restaurant work, but The World Famous Bowl Routine goes into great depth on preparation and set-up. I was surprised by how neatly the mess is wrapped up and disposed of. In fact, Lance performs this routine without a jacket, which makes it practical for just about any situation.

Lastly, the production values of the book do justice to its great content. The illustrations are crystal clear, and the book is very well-written. The book even has a novel layout: the pages have been cut so that the upper pages and lower pages can be turned separately. The upper section of the book contains the illustrations, so you never have to thumb back or ahead several pages to find an illustration depicting what’s described at the spot where you’re reading the text. Coupled with the fact that this is a spiral bound book that lies flat, the book is designed for you to learn the routine with props in hand.

I’m afraid this sounds like a “fluff” review. If there were any deficits in the book, I’d mention them, but this book is just an outstanding value. Having produced comb-bound books, I can tell you that the profit margins aren’t good. When you combine a killer bring-down-the-house-and-get-the-money routine with in-depth instruction, you have a sensational product.

David Roth Lecture DVD

First of all, having been a Van Halen fan since the 70’s, forgive me if I screw up and call him David Lee Roth at some point in this review. But both Davids are performers and entertainers I admire tremendously, and the David Roth Lecture DVD, which came free with my purchase of a Malone DVD and L & L, did not disappoint.

Of course, David is a master technician, performing coin magic as it should be done. The DVD contains great lessons on the classic palm, naturalness and motivation. But David is also great at presentation. Of all of the new coin DVD’s out there, how many actually have any sort of presentation? Or is that obviously a rhetorical question?

Roth starts out with Sawa’s Bank Night, which is clothed in a presentation of saving and features the magical production of four coins. For anyone doing trade show work or any sort of commercial presentation, it would be very easy to perform the routine with a message about savings, investment, interest, return on investment, etc.

Roth next performs Wild Coin, and I was immediately reminded of Dr. Rubenstein’s Twilight Zone routine, one of the greatest presentations in magic. This routine and the preceding were clearly influences. 4 copper coins produced in the first routine are changed into silver, then are the end are revealed to be copper again.

The revelation that the 4 coins have reverted to copper is a flaw in the routine that Curtis Kam has pointed out. Supposedly you are changing four coins into silver or gold, but the “kicker” merely reveals that the coins are not in fact changed, and I think must lead to the solution that one silver or gold coin is being switched throughout. Curtis has shared that his audiences have felt let down by the final revelation, which is in fact anticlimactic. On my “to do” list in magic is a routine that results in the permanent transformation of four coins. Of course, Dr. Rubenstein’s Twilight Zone presentation helps to resolve this problem.

Stonehenge Coin Assembly has a very interesting presentation. In fact, I was engrossed in David’s comments about Stonehenge (I learned something I didn’t know.) and didn’t realize he was setting up for his routine. Since the lecture is filmed in England, David deftly ties in his personal experiences with Stonehenge with the audience’s knowledge of the site. This is a great lesson in relevance and connecting with an audience. Stonehenge Coin Assembly is a matrix routine that is practically impossible to deconstruct. It is very disconcerting as a magician to get completely taken by a matrix. This routine ends with a load production and features 3 complete vanishes. It is an outstanding example of superior construction of a routine.

David Roth finishes with a coin in the bottle routine that ends by turning the bottle inside out. You are shown how to make the prop. I think this would be great for a parlor show.

The first 3 routines –Sawa’s Bank Night, Wild Coin, and Stonehenge Coin Assembly—could easily be strung together to form a solid, entertaining and magical act that progresses logically. Since the video is free when you order from L & L, I don’t see how you could go wrong.

Bill Malone "On the Loose" Vol. 2

I was looking for a standup bill in lemon routine, so I turned to this DVD. I was not disappointed. First and foremost, Bill Malone entertains, and the key difference is presentation. This is evident on the spectator cuts to the aces effect, which is interactive and involves several spectators.

"Counterfeit Money," the bill in lemon routine kills, and includes a bill switch and a production of the lemon. I was thinking this routine could be combined with the John Cornelius bill switch routine and/or the Tim Ellis bill in lemon routine for a longer, blockbuster routine.

"Think, Touch, Turn" is a twisting the aces routine. Although I don't particularly care for the routine's presentation (i.e. If you can catch me, I'll find your card.), Bill gets a lot of laughs and entertainment out of it. I would use this routine, which involves a selected card and the aces, as a "callback." In other words, a signed card from a previous trick unexpectedly shows up at the climax. This is not only unexpected, but lends continuity to a performance.

"Favorite Opener" There is some overlap between this DVD and the Steven's Restaurant Magic video. "Think, Touch, Turn" and this effect are on both. The routine plays very strongly on the Steven's tape, and Bill swears by it. If you consider where Bill is, and what he has accomplished in his life through magic, I listen up when he tells me this trick has got him more work than anything else.

"Matrix Presentation" I love coins, and quite frankly I was surprised by how deceptive and magical this routine is, with all due creduit going to Al Schneider. Furthermore, Bill has a laugh-getting presentation with this routine. How many people get laughs with a matrix routine? On top of it all, the routine is squeaky clean: 4 coins, 4 cards, no gimmicks.

"End of Story" Bill has a very magical ending for Gemini Twins. Even if you don't do his ending, Gemini Twins is a solid routine worth adding to your repertoire.

Bill also provides tips on the business side of magic during several interludes. These are worthwhile.

If you get this DVD as I did, directly from L and L, you get a free DVD of a David Roth lecture. (Review to follow.) This is a very tempting offer, indeed.

Magic Review Guidelines

1) Unflinching Honesty:
This is a tough one, admittedly. I try to stay positive, but if you're counting on me, I have an obligation to lower the boom on a product if necessary.

2) NO Kickbacks:
I have bought the product myself with my own money and am not getting anything free or discounted as a result of the review. This is the equivalent of taking a vow of poverty, but, hey, I'm taking the plunge.

3) Feedback:
I'll include my ideas for the tricks and presentations, and reply to your questions the best I'm able to.

Why Another Magic Blog?

Of course, I want to promote my website, crowsmagic.com.

But the purpose of this blog is not to offer my daily broadsides. Lord knows there's plenty of other bloggers performing that much-needed service.

The real need is for honest, thorough reviews. If you've followed the cycle at the Magic Cafe, it works something like this:

1) A New Product Is Rumored to Exist --Numerous posts begin, speculating as to the trick or DVD. These posts can go on for pages before a product even exists.

2) Magicians and Pseudo-Magicians Start Sniping --"How dare Great Franklin release a Cut-and-Restored Frog when Bob the Magiclumpen has been doing a torn and restored salamander for the last 20 years at Fenton's Mobile Home Palisade in Marked Tree, Arkansas!" Another self-satisfied posturer comes in: "Although it takes a while to perform, I have my own method for the cut and restored starfish, and have no need for a $200 Cut-and-Restored Frog."

3) Now in its fourth page, the thread now debates price. "For a working professional, $200 for a solid Cut-and-Restored Frog routine is a bargain. Warts on your hands are just the price you have to pay to perform good magic."

4) Which leads to method speculation and debates. "200 bucks is a rip-off for a prosthetic frog limb." "Is there a frog switch?" "Can I cut the frog with a spectator's chainsaw?" "Can the routine be done with a borrowed frog?" "Can I cut the frog in short sleeves?" "Do I have to be able to classic palm a frog in order to do the trick?"

All this time is spent, going on for pages, AND THERE IS STILL NO *&$% REVIEW OF THE PRODUCT!

For instance, I am interested in the Garrett Thomas DVD's. The thread went for 2 pages without a single detailed review, then dropped off of the front page, replaced by the latest overhyped product. Aargh!